- Location
- New York
Final Roll here
Edit: Rotten rolls here.
Edit: Rotten rolls here.
Last edited:
I'm a High Fantasy Tax Collector, So What? A CKII Tax Collector Quest
- Thread starter hYGP
- Start date
- Original Fantasy
-
- Tags
- death ck2 quest all proceeds go to real spiders are we revolutionaries or reactionaries today criminal justice discussion makes the gm fuzzy don't count your boats before they sail granary management if i lose my meows get me likes to replace them justice spider knock knock it's the finance ministry meows for discussion while supplies last taxation taxes this is not an empire quest
Thozmp
Gets my kicks above the waistline, Sunshine.
... so, we are recently told that using every action is apparently not a good thing, but when we do vote to have a character rest for an action, they decide to do something which invalidates the rest action. Is that going to happen often?
I think the problem is we tried to give the chosen of oskaria rest, when, well........
Thozmp
Gets my kicks above the waistline, Sunshine.
I'm just wondering if this'll set a precedent of a character saying nope to resting when there's work to be done. If there's some sickness that Cormag feels that he absolutely needs to be fixing, or maybe some artefact that is desperately needed that only Tekla can fix or something.
- Location
- Attached to a wall
- Pronouns
- She/Her
We should try it again when Ophelia has powered down, as a reference.
Random Member
Gardener of Human Happiness
- Location
- Behind You
I think Cormag and Tekla will be more reasonable when Agueda tells them to take a rest than the Spirit of Oskaria.
It would also probably depend on whether we'd actually be doing enough to fix these problems. If our plan already included all the actions to deal with the plague/fix the artefact, there would be literally nothing more that Cormag or Tekla could do, so they wouldn't object to a rest.
INTERREGNUM MONTH 2
- Location
- Somewhere over the rainbow
Piety
The Blessings of Oskaria
DC: 20. Roll: 25 + 1.4 = 26.4
"Great spirit of Oskaria," you say, treading carefully around the spirit wearing Ophelia's skin, "it would beneficial for your mission - "
"If you were blessed, correct?" she smoothly finishes, stride unbreaking and light frown of disgust perfectly maintained.
She sharply snaps her fingers, and immediately you feel a power, a drive, and a solidity fill your every pace and trail behind you like the tail of a comet.
"Thank you, great spirit," you bow.
Ophelia-Oskaria turns her head back to you with one eyebrow raised. Even though you know intellectually she is only an average height for human women, she still towers large over you like the great White Mountains. "I do not recall you acting this deferential to any save the King, Agueda. What has changed?"
Everything about you, you suppress. "Nothing at all," you lie.
Ophelia-Oskaria closes her eyes and nods sharply.
Ophelia does not move sharply or suddenly around people she fears or respects, you quietly think. And despite the confidence you've tried to instill...you know that she feared many.
Ophelia-Oskaria fears none.
You worry that she respects none.
+2 to all stats. (Star of Oskaria).
Martial
Calling All Heroes
DC: 10. Roll: 22 + 5.0 + 3 (The Star of Oskaria) + 2 (The Blessings of Oskaria) + 1.5 = 33.5
You witness true power on display.
Ophelia-Oskaria need merely touch her hand to her scabbard and speak above a whisper for an army to raise their banner and follow her.
She need only tap a soldier lightly on the shoulder before their eyes glitter as bright as twin suns. Gone are the telltale signs of hunger, despair, and deprivation - under her banner every soldier stands taller than than a great oak. Behind her their thousand boots would follow her across the whole of the world against even the Calamity Armors themselves.
Great hordes descend upon her to merely touch the Maiden of Light, to see her, and she obliges.
Ophelia-Oskaria's permanent frown comes the closest it ever does to smiling.
Diplomacy
The Remaining Nobles
DC: 25 - 5 (The Star of Oskaria) - 5 (Blessings of Oskaria) - 5 (Fuck Those Guys in Particular) = 10. Roll: 20 + 2 + 2 (Blessings of Oskaria) + 0.1 = 24.1
It is truly a heady thing to merely knock upon a Duke's temporary residence and be immediately ushered in.
You know it's the power you casually exude, though you notice out of the corners of your many eyes the servants and lords alike drawing a tiny protective circle with their fingers.
You are blunt, ashen in the unwashed soot, and a Colonist besides.
But with the Star overhead, the Blessing of Oskaria, and their antipathy for their...misguided fellows, they gladly tell you which direction they headed off in.
With the Shi Anh in port blocking off their retreat, they could only hope to sneak up the river Bythnia and through the White Hills in order to meet up with their fellow conspirators, as far as they know.
You archly ask them what they know about the conspiracy, seeing as they already know so much.
Many decide that nothing can be divined from silence.
Some push their luck and tell you that they were so low-ranking that only their lords were invited - and thus when their lords ordered to come with them to discuss such matters, they had seen the light of the Star and chosen to disregard the dishonorable request. Surprisingly, a few even said, it looked like a significant number of the nobles that had left north were similarly nervous - the Star was such a strong sign of divine provenance after the trials of the previous year that nobody dared say Oskaria was the problem.
Very useful.
So was their parting gifts.
Gain: 10 Budget.
Intrigue
Questions and Answers
DC: 10. Roll: 22 + 2 + 2 (Blessings of Oskaria) + 8.3 = 34.3
You need do nothing with your network of porters and servants and stablehands besides confirm what the resentful remaining nobles had said, and through a thousand whispers you get enough repeated rumors to lead you to believe you're hearing the truth. Interestingly, however, they also mentioned rumors about the bandits in the hills - supposedly there was a bunch of brigands shaking down the hated noble tax collectors and returning the money to the people nearby, and the caravans were extra well-armed because of it.
Worryingly, though, you're hearing the same consistent rumors about how all of Merridge is aflame - but. You have a priority, and you're going to track them down.
Diplomacy
The Great Church
DC: 20 - 15 (The Star of Oskaria) = 5. Roll: 20 + 2 + 2 (Blessings of Oskaria) + 0.9 = 24.9
If there is any party more desperate than the people to see the Maiden of Light herself, it is the clergy.
Which is why you immensely disappoint them when you show up.
You know that they badly wanted to speak with Ophelia-Oskaria. However, in her stead, Agueda the Just, Blessed of Oskaria will have to do, you bow. It is just a little too aggressive to be self-depreciating and just a little too deferential to be mocking, exactly as you intended it. While you feel that some of them have been disappointed that the envoy is not as tall as they imagined, you see the respectful fear that all of them occasionally glance towards the heavens - they want to hear what lessons they should take away from the Star and the communiques of the Divine Gathering.
For while they have heard the message that the Star of Oskaria is a sign of promised prosperity in exchange for good deeds in the Crusade, they want to clarify - what should be done? What is the interpretation to promulgate? They were hoping for precisely Ophelia to hear from the voice of Oskaria herself - which you interrupt.
Are they seriously rejecting an envoy of Justice?
This shames them into a thousand prayers of forgiveness, but you have neither the time nor the inclination to witness all thousand prayers from the clergy.
No, you'd like to remind them that this is merely a sign of two things:
One: The faith in the contract between Oskaria and the people has been maintained, no matter the trials and the tribulations. The very Divine Gathering itself has confirmed it, and the light of the Star of Oskaria is the first signal for the rewards to the faithful. Feel free to promulgate this as widely as possible.
Two: You would like direct, written and spoken, authorization to go investigate cases of dogmatic...deviance.
With the look of hope and gratitude that overtakes the clergy at the first statement, the time it takes for the clergy to decide on the second request can be measured in a matter of heartbeats.
You now possess the Bishop of Cille's authorization to investigate faith-related affairs.
Learning
Repairs
DC: 20. Roll: 23 + 2 (Blessings of Oskaria) + 1.4 = 26.4
Haggling with Tekla about the budget is a spirited but completely traditional haggling. He says that he needs a large budget in order to procure the magical reagants, you say that it's a port city. With just a few more components, he says, he can definitely get it to work this time, and you roll your eyes and tell him that you don't want him to tinker with them, you want him just to fix them up. He exaggerates exasperation, you exaggerate exasperation, and you send him with the budget you had all this time with only minimal grumbling.
Which is why it's mildly surprising to find out that he comes back, reagents in hand, without spending a single piece - though with the blessing hanging over all of you, it wasn't hard to figure out why.
Equipment repaired.
Stewardship
Recall This Legality
DC: 30. Roll: 24 + 4 + 3 + 2 (Blessings of Oskaria) + 4.5 = 37.5
You must conduct your work clandestinely - or at least, away from Ophelia-Oskaria's eyes, at least until you have something to show her. You and Cormag thus descend into the depths of Cille's law and inheritance section, simultaneously the most filled and the least reliable section of their library. After all, whoever compiles the law together would vastly prefer a version of the law that benefits them personally encoded into the law books - even if that means the law contradicts itself, that is merely an opportunity to bring a bribed judge in to resolve the case.
But that does not mean you are helpless.
Merely that you have many options.
So you and Cormag attempt to replicate the Five Eyes of Mortal Divinity with six eyes between the two of you, and storm through law book after law book to find the evidence you need.
Or more specifically, the cases you will need to bring. After all, it is a hallmark of your shattered justice system that a peasant can be convicted upon sufficient suspicion and put to death, whereas a noble requires ever more rigged court cases before they suffer even the slightest economic penalty.
But that does not mean justice for the nobles is impossible.
Merely more involved.
So if you want to take down the Regent to the Crown, the Minister of State, the aging human Duke Corneille Coburn, you must bring the Sejm to commit to removing him from his post. To do that, at a minimum you must find some cause for your lack of confidence in the Regent. Preferably multiple, strong enough to prove to the Sejm as a whole a reason for stripping the Regent of his rank.
There are three broad methods you can think of: dereliction of his duties to his peers, to his faith, and to his vassals.
To prove the dereliction of his duties to his peers, you must demonstrate sabotage of the functioning of the Ministry of State in direct contravention of either Sejm or orders of the King, places where he did not act when he was ordered to act, where he acted when he was ordered to not act, or when he acted directly against what he was ordered to accomplish. Finding evidence of this would likely be very difficult - you would need access to previous orders to the Minister of State from the Sejm or the King, and at a minimum testimony of his subordinates or his direct letters and statements. However, should you be able to prove this with evidence, it would be the strongest direct argument to remove him - for if the case was proven, Duke Corneille Coburn will have proven untrustworthy in a lesser position than Regent of the King.
To prove the dereliction of his duties to the faith, you would need to bring spiritual testimony into the court. The likely spirits you would need to convince of the Minister's impiety would be Oskaria, his ancestral spirits, and the spirits of the land. The mere fact of bringing testimony would also likely involve convincing the upper echelons of the church, some of whom were likely to be his relatives - but with the Star of Oskaria hanging overhead, perhaps less difficult than it sounded. Bringing this case to conclusion would likely result in a close vote of no confidence in the Regent. In theory, the King was also one of the chief priests, and if the Regent could not be trusted with the spiritual affairs of his own household, he cannot be trusted with the spiritual affairs of an entire nation. In practice, many could argue King Julius' early reign was an example of a King growing into the role, which his allies might make before the Sejm.
Lastly to prove the dereliction of his duties to his vassals, you must persuade his vassals that the duty has been neglected. You suspect that the easiest method to do so is financial - prove that he has exceeded the bounds of his contracts with his vassals, by either undervaluing their services, by extracting services beyond the bounds of his contract, or worst of all, by promising land he promised to one vassal to another. Possibly himself. To find the evidence would be the simplest - and yet, also the least likely to result in the Duke's dismissal. That said, if the case was proved and the Duke dismissed, he would find the fall from grace so very, very long.
Proving two out of the three before the Sejm would likely smear his name so badly that the Coburn would find few allies willing to stick with him. Proving three out of the three to the satisfaction of the Sejm would be such a surefire conviction that you might as well hand him a shovel to dig his own grave.
That said, the other legal threat staring you down was the Duke's illegal dissolution of the Finance Ministry - one that you could respond in two ways.
Either by bending the knee in private and carrying on in public, or publicly rejecting his authority. Bending the knee in private would likely buy you several months of uninterrupted time to do as you wish and would require no resources on your part, while publicly rejecting the authority of the Regent would be very messy and would definitely require you to bring at a minimum two pieces of evidence: the law that states live orders of the King supersede the decisions of Ministers when the King is not yet dead, and proof that the order was written before the death of the King. In any case, communication lag buys you a little bit of time - three months, most likely, at the outermost.
On the other hand, privately acceding and then carrying on would almost certainly damage your reputation and cause greater legal troubles down the line because you very much did accede, while simply publicly repudiating the illegal order would give you a much stronger legal case when the debate went public.
The difficulty then would be to cement the position of the Finance Ministry after the Regent's first attempt was blocked - to do so, you would need to appeal to the Sejm. Fortunately for you, Duke Coburn's illegal attempt was a huge blunder - it would make him out to be a tyrant seizing power just as he loses the ability to block legislature from coming to the floor. For the sole purpose of reducing Duke Coburn's power, you suspected you could actually push for a greater expansion of the Finance Ministry's power.
The best part was, so long as you started proceedings to extend the warrant of the Finance Ministry all the tools other corrupt nobles used to maintain the position of their useless third sons would kick in on the Finance Ministry's side, allowing them to continue functioning while debate about their continued functioning was on the agenda. You didn't need to win the case immediately - just to start it.
Martial
Stride Forth
DC: 28. Roll: 22 + 5.0 + 3 (The Star of Oskaria) + 2 (Blessings of Oskaria) + 0.5
Random Event Roll: 70
At last, the time comes to set out.
Immediately, Ophelia-Oskaria dismisses nine out of the ten soldiers who had promised to follow her - the hastily assembled army came with neither logistics train nor significant cavalry, so the force would have to be drastically kept down in order to maintain the high pace Ophelia-Oskaria demanded. The looks of disappointment move even you - but the Maiden of Light's expression does not move, for she cannot be moved.
Yet this decision proves to be prudent, for the remaining army moves as swiftly as a coursing river. The march begins and dawn and ends at dusk, and yet none of the soldiers appear to flag willingly - they march with their heads held high and their feet placed one in front of another, as they march up the domesticated Bythnia into the Antiguan region. The warm summer days are filled with the laughter and song of a marching army, while the nights are filled with prayer sessions to the Star.
Shockingly, as Ophelia-Oskaria leads her patchwork army through, granaries are opened for village feasts, as all sing praise to the Divine Compact and the King who brought such prosperity and rich harvests after the terrible year. It is a joyous romp, as her many relatives in the region come to celebrate their cousin's great triumphs.
Quietly, you note how much more farming land is brought under cultivation. You note how you're fairly certain there are more mills than reported. You note the quality of the iron plows used on the various estates. You would have to consult the Finance Ministry's records to be sure, but even accounting for the fraud you detected when you arrived in Cille, you're certain someone is systematically undercounting everything in Antigua, and you would have had no idea if you had not been coming up from Cille.
But life has a way of surprising you all.
Specifically, when you come across a wrecked caravan towed off the side of the road. The stench of death lingers in the air, lightly packed loam indicating where bodies of horse and human alike had likely been buried. Much of the fabric was torn away, but you note three things:
The caravan itself was well-crafted. The wagon had a sigil of some minor baron delicately carved into it. Finally, the wagon also had a roughly carved asymmetrical snowflake pattern - which you realize is actually three crossed swords.
Was this the work of the rumored hill bandits?
Nonrecurring Revenue: 10 Budget.
Salaries and Wages Expense: 5 Budget.
Army Expenses: 3 Budget.
Net Profit: 2 Budget.
Remaining Budget: 202.
Your army, small as it may be, is an arrow loosed in flight. It may temporarily slow down for a few days, but should it ever come to a stop it will likely fall apart. And yet while it is on the march, few will be able to match it.
You may spend as much money as you have available.
You have three [Free] Action that may be spent in any category.
You can cooperate with your teammates to add +3 Base Stat to an action you are cooperating on.
Martial (Choose 1) {Ophelia-Oskaria Action}
[] [Martial] Give Chase
Disregard the looted caravan. Continue pursuit of the others, who the townsfolk say are just ahead. DC: 10. Cost: 0 Budget.
[] [Martial] Search for Bandits
If the bandits ransacked this caravan, they may have answers, and punishing bandits is simply a good thing to do. DC: 25. Cost: 0 Budget. Will greatly increase Bandit Meeting DC.
Diplomacy (Choose 1) {Agueda Action}
[] [Diplomacy] Contacting Vivien
You're close enough that if you push it, you may be able to loop into the capital for a quick chat with Vivien. Long enough to tell her to continue the Ministry, continue the fight. DC: 10. Cost: 0 Budget. (Will replace all other Agueda Actions with others as appropriate.)
[] [Diplomacy] The Antiguan Priests
You're pretty sure that this region is one of the Duke's territory. If you want to get started on knowing what his priests think of him, you ought to meet them. DC: 15. Cost: 0 Budget.
[] [Diplomacy] Thevenet
You do not like him. His smug aura mocks you. However, the man has shown a clear predilection for having too many connections and a keen sense for when to jump ship. Perhaps you can convince him to find evidence. DC: 20. Cost: 10 Budget.
[] [Diplomacy] Bandit Meeting
You may be able to manage a meeting with bandits, and the three sword insignia gives you reason to believe that you have some common ground - but that requires that you find them. Requires success on either Search for Bandits or Message to the Bandits. DC: ??. Cost: ?? Budget.
Intrigue (Choose 1) {Agueda Action}
[] [Intrigue] Raiding the Estate
There's a noble estate nearby. Raiding it for correspondence may help, but you're not quite sure whose it is. You really ought to go get a map and check. DC: 20. Gain: ?? (Infiltration...will probably autosucceed. Roll will determine if estate helps the investigation.)
[] [Intrigue] Rumors of the Bandits
If there's anything you can count on a rumor mill to do, it's to spread wild amounts of rumors, only some of them true. However, those rumors might be able to help you locate these elusive bandits. DC: 20. Gain: ?? Possibility of boosting Search for Bandits.
[] [Intrigue] Message to the Bandits
You might have some common ground, and certainly arranging a meeting place couldn't hurt - either to actually meet or as an ambush. DC: 20. Gain: ?? Possibility of meeting the bandits.
Learning (Choose 1) {Tekla Action}
[] [Learning] Ink Dating
Tekla has some techniques to look into how old ink has been bound to paper - and if you can find that the missive was written and stamped prior to the King's death, you can repudiate the validity of the missive. DC: 25. Cost: 0 Budget.
[] [Learning] Apothecaries
You have the chance to pick up a few potions along the way to boost your abilities further, so should you desire. DC: 15. Cost: 1-3 Budget.
Stewardship (Choose 1) {Ophelia-Oskaria Action}
[] [Stewardship] Infrastructure Survey
You've got some lingering suspicions about the reported land usage and manufacturing capabilities here. Time to properly survey the area and see if your suspicions are confirmed. DC: 22. Cost: 0 Budget. Will boost Search for Bandits.
[] [Stewardship] Reading Vassal Contracts
Vassalage contracts are personal things, but to any serious event there are witnesses and documentation who can provide details about them. Let alone the direct vassals of no less a figure than a Duke. Time to get your hands on some. DC: 15. Cost: 0 Budget.
Piety (Choose 1) {Ophelia-Oskaria Action}
[] [Piety] The City Spirits of Antigua
You want to ask the spirits of the city how they've been doing - remembering of course, to pay your respects first. DC: 20. Cost: 4 Budget.
[] [Piety] The Country Spirits of Antigua
Similarly, you have a few questions for the vast spirits of the country at large about the Duke's conduct - especially if any Beasts of Autumn are still lurking in the wilderness. DC: 22. Cost: 6 Budget.
[] [Piety] The Ancestral Spirits
You know that there are a few households that have notable collections of ancestral spirits lying around. Perhaps you can ask them how well the shrines are maintained. DC: 24. Cost: 4 Budget.
The Blessings of Oskaria
DC: 20. Roll: 25 + 1.4 = 26.4
"Great spirit of Oskaria," you say, treading carefully around the spirit wearing Ophelia's skin, "it would beneficial for your mission - "
"If you were blessed, correct?" she smoothly finishes, stride unbreaking and light frown of disgust perfectly maintained.
She sharply snaps her fingers, and immediately you feel a power, a drive, and a solidity fill your every pace and trail behind you like the tail of a comet.
"Thank you, great spirit," you bow.
Ophelia-Oskaria turns her head back to you with one eyebrow raised. Even though you know intellectually she is only an average height for human women, she still towers large over you like the great White Mountains. "I do not recall you acting this deferential to any save the King, Agueda. What has changed?"
Everything about you, you suppress. "Nothing at all," you lie.
Ophelia-Oskaria closes her eyes and nods sharply.
Ophelia does not move sharply or suddenly around people she fears or respects, you quietly think. And despite the confidence you've tried to instill...you know that she feared many.
Ophelia-Oskaria fears none.
You worry that she respects none.
+2 to all stats. (Star of Oskaria).
Martial
Calling All Heroes
DC: 10. Roll: 22 + 5.0 + 3 (The Star of Oskaria) + 2 (The Blessings of Oskaria) + 1.5 = 33.5
You witness true power on display.
Ophelia-Oskaria need merely touch her hand to her scabbard and speak above a whisper for an army to raise their banner and follow her.
She need only tap a soldier lightly on the shoulder before their eyes glitter as bright as twin suns. Gone are the telltale signs of hunger, despair, and deprivation - under her banner every soldier stands taller than than a great oak. Behind her their thousand boots would follow her across the whole of the world against even the Calamity Armors themselves.
Great hordes descend upon her to merely touch the Maiden of Light, to see her, and she obliges.
Ophelia-Oskaria's permanent frown comes the closest it ever does to smiling.
Diplomacy
The Remaining Nobles
DC: 25 - 5 (The Star of Oskaria) - 5 (Blessings of Oskaria) - 5 (Fuck Those Guys in Particular) = 10. Roll: 20 + 2 + 2 (Blessings of Oskaria) + 0.1 = 24.1
It is truly a heady thing to merely knock upon a Duke's temporary residence and be immediately ushered in.
You know it's the power you casually exude, though you notice out of the corners of your many eyes the servants and lords alike drawing a tiny protective circle with their fingers.
You are blunt, ashen in the unwashed soot, and a Colonist besides.
But with the Star overhead, the Blessing of Oskaria, and their antipathy for their...misguided fellows, they gladly tell you which direction they headed off in.
With the Shi Anh in port blocking off their retreat, they could only hope to sneak up the river Bythnia and through the White Hills in order to meet up with their fellow conspirators, as far as they know.
You archly ask them what they know about the conspiracy, seeing as they already know so much.
Many decide that nothing can be divined from silence.
Some push their luck and tell you that they were so low-ranking that only their lords were invited - and thus when their lords ordered to come with them to discuss such matters, they had seen the light of the Star and chosen to disregard the dishonorable request. Surprisingly, a few even said, it looked like a significant number of the nobles that had left north were similarly nervous - the Star was such a strong sign of divine provenance after the trials of the previous year that nobody dared say Oskaria was the problem.
Very useful.
So was their parting gifts.
Gain: 10 Budget.
Intrigue
Questions and Answers
DC: 10. Roll: 22 + 2 + 2 (Blessings of Oskaria) + 8.3 = 34.3
You need do nothing with your network of porters and servants and stablehands besides confirm what the resentful remaining nobles had said, and through a thousand whispers you get enough repeated rumors to lead you to believe you're hearing the truth. Interestingly, however, they also mentioned rumors about the bandits in the hills - supposedly there was a bunch of brigands shaking down the hated noble tax collectors and returning the money to the people nearby, and the caravans were extra well-armed because of it.
Worryingly, though, you're hearing the same consistent rumors about how all of Merridge is aflame - but. You have a priority, and you're going to track them down.
Diplomacy
The Great Church
DC: 20 - 15 (The Star of Oskaria) = 5. Roll: 20 + 2 + 2 (Blessings of Oskaria) + 0.9 = 24.9
If there is any party more desperate than the people to see the Maiden of Light herself, it is the clergy.
Which is why you immensely disappoint them when you show up.
You know that they badly wanted to speak with Ophelia-Oskaria. However, in her stead, Agueda the Just, Blessed of Oskaria will have to do, you bow. It is just a little too aggressive to be self-depreciating and just a little too deferential to be mocking, exactly as you intended it. While you feel that some of them have been disappointed that the envoy is not as tall as they imagined, you see the respectful fear that all of them occasionally glance towards the heavens - they want to hear what lessons they should take away from the Star and the communiques of the Divine Gathering.
For while they have heard the message that the Star of Oskaria is a sign of promised prosperity in exchange for good deeds in the Crusade, they want to clarify - what should be done? What is the interpretation to promulgate? They were hoping for precisely Ophelia to hear from the voice of Oskaria herself - which you interrupt.
Are they seriously rejecting an envoy of Justice?
This shames them into a thousand prayers of forgiveness, but you have neither the time nor the inclination to witness all thousand prayers from the clergy.
No, you'd like to remind them that this is merely a sign of two things:
One: The faith in the contract between Oskaria and the people has been maintained, no matter the trials and the tribulations. The very Divine Gathering itself has confirmed it, and the light of the Star of Oskaria is the first signal for the rewards to the faithful. Feel free to promulgate this as widely as possible.
Two: You would like direct, written and spoken, authorization to go investigate cases of dogmatic...deviance.
With the look of hope and gratitude that overtakes the clergy at the first statement, the time it takes for the clergy to decide on the second request can be measured in a matter of heartbeats.
You now possess the Bishop of Cille's authorization to investigate faith-related affairs.
Learning
Repairs
DC: 20. Roll: 23 + 2 (Blessings of Oskaria) + 1.4 = 26.4
Haggling with Tekla about the budget is a spirited but completely traditional haggling. He says that he needs a large budget in order to procure the magical reagants, you say that it's a port city. With just a few more components, he says, he can definitely get it to work this time, and you roll your eyes and tell him that you don't want him to tinker with them, you want him just to fix them up. He exaggerates exasperation, you exaggerate exasperation, and you send him with the budget you had all this time with only minimal grumbling.
Which is why it's mildly surprising to find out that he comes back, reagents in hand, without spending a single piece - though with the blessing hanging over all of you, it wasn't hard to figure out why.
Equipment repaired.
Stewardship
Recall This Legality
DC: 30. Roll: 24 + 4 + 3 + 2 (Blessings of Oskaria) + 4.5 = 37.5
You must conduct your work clandestinely - or at least, away from Ophelia-Oskaria's eyes, at least until you have something to show her. You and Cormag thus descend into the depths of Cille's law and inheritance section, simultaneously the most filled and the least reliable section of their library. After all, whoever compiles the law together would vastly prefer a version of the law that benefits them personally encoded into the law books - even if that means the law contradicts itself, that is merely an opportunity to bring a bribed judge in to resolve the case.
But that does not mean you are helpless.
Merely that you have many options.
So you and Cormag attempt to replicate the Five Eyes of Mortal Divinity with six eyes between the two of you, and storm through law book after law book to find the evidence you need.
Or more specifically, the cases you will need to bring. After all, it is a hallmark of your shattered justice system that a peasant can be convicted upon sufficient suspicion and put to death, whereas a noble requires ever more rigged court cases before they suffer even the slightest economic penalty.
But that does not mean justice for the nobles is impossible.
Merely more involved.
So if you want to take down the Regent to the Crown, the Minister of State, the aging human Duke Corneille Coburn, you must bring the Sejm to commit to removing him from his post. To do that, at a minimum you must find some cause for your lack of confidence in the Regent. Preferably multiple, strong enough to prove to the Sejm as a whole a reason for stripping the Regent of his rank.
There are three broad methods you can think of: dereliction of his duties to his peers, to his faith, and to his vassals.
To prove the dereliction of his duties to his peers, you must demonstrate sabotage of the functioning of the Ministry of State in direct contravention of either Sejm or orders of the King, places where he did not act when he was ordered to act, where he acted when he was ordered to not act, or when he acted directly against what he was ordered to accomplish. Finding evidence of this would likely be very difficult - you would need access to previous orders to the Minister of State from the Sejm or the King, and at a minimum testimony of his subordinates or his direct letters and statements. However, should you be able to prove this with evidence, it would be the strongest direct argument to remove him - for if the case was proven, Duke Corneille Coburn will have proven untrustworthy in a lesser position than Regent of the King.
To prove the dereliction of his duties to the faith, you would need to bring spiritual testimony into the court. The likely spirits you would need to convince of the Minister's impiety would be Oskaria, his ancestral spirits, and the spirits of the land. The mere fact of bringing testimony would also likely involve convincing the upper echelons of the church, some of whom were likely to be his relatives - but with the Star of Oskaria hanging overhead, perhaps less difficult than it sounded. Bringing this case to conclusion would likely result in a close vote of no confidence in the Regent. In theory, the King was also one of the chief priests, and if the Regent could not be trusted with the spiritual affairs of his own household, he cannot be trusted with the spiritual affairs of an entire nation. In practice, many could argue King Julius' early reign was an example of a King growing into the role, which his allies might make before the Sejm.
Lastly to prove the dereliction of his duties to his vassals, you must persuade his vassals that the duty has been neglected. You suspect that the easiest method to do so is financial - prove that he has exceeded the bounds of his contracts with his vassals, by either undervaluing their services, by extracting services beyond the bounds of his contract, or worst of all, by promising land he promised to one vassal to another. Possibly himself. To find the evidence would be the simplest - and yet, also the least likely to result in the Duke's dismissal. That said, if the case was proved and the Duke dismissed, he would find the fall from grace so very, very long.
Proving two out of the three before the Sejm would likely smear his name so badly that the Coburn would find few allies willing to stick with him. Proving three out of the three to the satisfaction of the Sejm would be such a surefire conviction that you might as well hand him a shovel to dig his own grave.
That said, the other legal threat staring you down was the Duke's illegal dissolution of the Finance Ministry - one that you could respond in two ways.
Either by bending the knee in private and carrying on in public, or publicly rejecting his authority. Bending the knee in private would likely buy you several months of uninterrupted time to do as you wish and would require no resources on your part, while publicly rejecting the authority of the Regent would be very messy and would definitely require you to bring at a minimum two pieces of evidence: the law that states live orders of the King supersede the decisions of Ministers when the King is not yet dead, and proof that the order was written before the death of the King. In any case, communication lag buys you a little bit of time - three months, most likely, at the outermost.
On the other hand, privately acceding and then carrying on would almost certainly damage your reputation and cause greater legal troubles down the line because you very much did accede, while simply publicly repudiating the illegal order would give you a much stronger legal case when the debate went public.
The difficulty then would be to cement the position of the Finance Ministry after the Regent's first attempt was blocked - to do so, you would need to appeal to the Sejm. Fortunately for you, Duke Coburn's illegal attempt was a huge blunder - it would make him out to be a tyrant seizing power just as he loses the ability to block legislature from coming to the floor. For the sole purpose of reducing Duke Coburn's power, you suspected you could actually push for a greater expansion of the Finance Ministry's power.
The best part was, so long as you started proceedings to extend the warrant of the Finance Ministry all the tools other corrupt nobles used to maintain the position of their useless third sons would kick in on the Finance Ministry's side, allowing them to continue functioning while debate about their continued functioning was on the agenda. You didn't need to win the case immediately - just to start it.
Martial
Stride Forth
DC: 28. Roll: 22 + 5.0 + 3 (The Star of Oskaria) + 2 (Blessings of Oskaria) + 0.5
Random Event Roll: 70
At last, the time comes to set out.
Immediately, Ophelia-Oskaria dismisses nine out of the ten soldiers who had promised to follow her - the hastily assembled army came with neither logistics train nor significant cavalry, so the force would have to be drastically kept down in order to maintain the high pace Ophelia-Oskaria demanded. The looks of disappointment move even you - but the Maiden of Light's expression does not move, for she cannot be moved.
Yet this decision proves to be prudent, for the remaining army moves as swiftly as a coursing river. The march begins and dawn and ends at dusk, and yet none of the soldiers appear to flag willingly - they march with their heads held high and their feet placed one in front of another, as they march up the domesticated Bythnia into the Antiguan region. The warm summer days are filled with the laughter and song of a marching army, while the nights are filled with prayer sessions to the Star.
Shockingly, as Ophelia-Oskaria leads her patchwork army through, granaries are opened for village feasts, as all sing praise to the Divine Compact and the King who brought such prosperity and rich harvests after the terrible year. It is a joyous romp, as her many relatives in the region come to celebrate their cousin's great triumphs.
Quietly, you note how much more farming land is brought under cultivation. You note how you're fairly certain there are more mills than reported. You note the quality of the iron plows used on the various estates. You would have to consult the Finance Ministry's records to be sure, but even accounting for the fraud you detected when you arrived in Cille, you're certain someone is systematically undercounting everything in Antigua, and you would have had no idea if you had not been coming up from Cille.
But life has a way of surprising you all.
Specifically, when you come across a wrecked caravan towed off the side of the road. The stench of death lingers in the air, lightly packed loam indicating where bodies of horse and human alike had likely been buried. Much of the fabric was torn away, but you note three things:
The caravan itself was well-crafted. The wagon had a sigil of some minor baron delicately carved into it. Finally, the wagon also had a roughly carved asymmetrical snowflake pattern - which you realize is actually three crossed swords.
Was this the work of the rumored hill bandits?
Nonrecurring Revenue: 10 Budget.
Salaries and Wages Expense: 5 Budget.
Army Expenses: 3 Budget.
Net Profit: 2 Budget.
Remaining Budget: 202.
Your army, small as it may be, is an arrow loosed in flight. It may temporarily slow down for a few days, but should it ever come to a stop it will likely fall apart. And yet while it is on the march, few will be able to match it.
You may spend as much money as you have available.
You have three [Free] Action that may be spent in any category.
You can cooperate with your teammates to add +3 Base Stat to an action you are cooperating on.
Martial (Choose 1) {Ophelia-Oskaria Action}
[] [Martial] Give Chase
Disregard the looted caravan. Continue pursuit of the others, who the townsfolk say are just ahead. DC: 10. Cost: 0 Budget.
[] [Martial] Search for Bandits
If the bandits ransacked this caravan, they may have answers, and punishing bandits is simply a good thing to do. DC: 25. Cost: 0 Budget. Will greatly increase Bandit Meeting DC.
Diplomacy (Choose 1) {Agueda Action}
[] [Diplomacy] Contacting Vivien
You're close enough that if you push it, you may be able to loop into the capital for a quick chat with Vivien. Long enough to tell her to continue the Ministry, continue the fight. DC: 10. Cost: 0 Budget. (Will replace all other Agueda Actions with others as appropriate.)
[] [Diplomacy] The Antiguan Priests
You're pretty sure that this region is one of the Duke's territory. If you want to get started on knowing what his priests think of him, you ought to meet them. DC: 15. Cost: 0 Budget.
[] [Diplomacy] Thevenet
You do not like him. His smug aura mocks you. However, the man has shown a clear predilection for having too many connections and a keen sense for when to jump ship. Perhaps you can convince him to find evidence. DC: 20. Cost: 10 Budget.
[] [Diplomacy] Bandit Meeting
You may be able to manage a meeting with bandits, and the three sword insignia gives you reason to believe that you have some common ground - but that requires that you find them. Requires success on either Search for Bandits or Message to the Bandits. DC: ??. Cost: ?? Budget.
Intrigue (Choose 1) {Agueda Action}
[] [Intrigue] Raiding the Estate
There's a noble estate nearby. Raiding it for correspondence may help, but you're not quite sure whose it is. You really ought to go get a map and check. DC: 20. Gain: ?? (Infiltration...will probably autosucceed. Roll will determine if estate helps the investigation.)
[] [Intrigue] Rumors of the Bandits
If there's anything you can count on a rumor mill to do, it's to spread wild amounts of rumors, only some of them true. However, those rumors might be able to help you locate these elusive bandits. DC: 20. Gain: ?? Possibility of boosting Search for Bandits.
[] [Intrigue] Message to the Bandits
You might have some common ground, and certainly arranging a meeting place couldn't hurt - either to actually meet or as an ambush. DC: 20. Gain: ?? Possibility of meeting the bandits.
Learning (Choose 1) {Tekla Action}
[] [Learning] Ink Dating
Tekla has some techniques to look into how old ink has been bound to paper - and if you can find that the missive was written and stamped prior to the King's death, you can repudiate the validity of the missive. DC: 25. Cost: 0 Budget.
[] [Learning] Apothecaries
You have the chance to pick up a few potions along the way to boost your abilities further, so should you desire. DC: 15. Cost: 1-3 Budget.
Stewardship (Choose 1) {Ophelia-Oskaria Action}
[] [Stewardship] Infrastructure Survey
You've got some lingering suspicions about the reported land usage and manufacturing capabilities here. Time to properly survey the area and see if your suspicions are confirmed. DC: 22. Cost: 0 Budget. Will boost Search for Bandits.
[] [Stewardship] Reading Vassal Contracts
Vassalage contracts are personal things, but to any serious event there are witnesses and documentation who can provide details about them. Let alone the direct vassals of no less a figure than a Duke. Time to get your hands on some. DC: 15. Cost: 0 Budget.
Piety (Choose 1) {Ophelia-Oskaria Action}
[] [Piety] The City Spirits of Antigua
You want to ask the spirits of the city how they've been doing - remembering of course, to pay your respects first. DC: 20. Cost: 4 Budget.
[] [Piety] The Country Spirits of Antigua
Similarly, you have a few questions for the vast spirits of the country at large about the Duke's conduct - especially if any Beasts of Autumn are still lurking in the wilderness. DC: 22. Cost: 6 Budget.
[] [Piety] The Ancestral Spirits
You know that there are a few households that have notable collections of ancestral spirits lying around. Perhaps you can ask them how well the shrines are maintained. DC: 24. Cost: 4 Budget.
Random Member
Gardener of Human Happiness
- Location
- Behind You
Hmmm.
*6 months later*
The bandits:
INTERREGNUM MONTH 2 RUMOR MILL
- Location
- Somewhere over the rainbow
Hey, can you tell us what the hell is going on north of the White Mountains? I've been hearing all sorts of crazy shit's been going down.
Crazy's right. The Brumyivans, Alanyivans, and Rusmysians are all getting into a giant clusterfuck, from what I heard. Merridge itself is half on fire, if you can believe it.
Wild.
Ugh, if only I was young again. I hear everybody that got in on the Transulinian trade routes are busy getting crazy rich on the Kataltin trade corridor.
Nah, you really don't want to go over there. The colonists are scuttling around again, and I heard that there was a Dragon army on the way.
Seriously dude? Like the last dragon army that got killed?
Well, yeah, that didn't count. Besides, they're really just coming back for round two anyways, and they're definitely getting the help of those filthy shiteaters.
Iiif you say so.
That wedding was delightful, wasn't it?
Oh yes, it was quite the feast. Did you notice how the two families seemed to act?
Relations that close can only mean bad things for their enemies near them, which is good for us Antiguans, eh?
You have the right of it, my fair lady.
Crazy's right. The Brumyivans, Alanyivans, and Rusmysians are all getting into a giant clusterfuck, from what I heard. Merridge itself is half on fire, if you can believe it.
Wild.
Ugh, if only I was young again. I hear everybody that got in on the Transulinian trade routes are busy getting crazy rich on the Kataltin trade corridor.
Nah, you really don't want to go over there. The colonists are scuttling around again, and I heard that there was a Dragon army on the way.
Seriously dude? Like the last dragon army that got killed?
Well, yeah, that didn't count. Besides, they're really just coming back for round two anyways, and they're definitely getting the help of those filthy shiteaters.
Iiif you say so.
That wedding was delightful, wasn't it?
Oh yes, it was quite the feast. Did you notice how the two families seemed to act?
Relations that close can only mean bad things for their enemies near them, which is good for us Antiguans, eh?
You have the right of it, my fair lady.
Random Member
Gardener of Human Happiness
- Location
- Behind You
So if I'm reading this right, picking this means all other Diplomacy and Intrigue actions we pick get replaced? Meaning we thus can't try to contact the bandits?
- Location
- Somewhere over the rainbow
Not quite. It means that if you take it, the bandit contact action will be replaced by Tekla's stat, while the Intrigue Actions will be replaced with Kerrie's statline, for example.
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
Why do we want to deal with the bandits? We've got something big going on.
- Location
- Somewhere over the rainbow
Some notes:
Since armies always, practically speaking, move significantly slower than individuals can move, Give Chase does not actually reduce DCs for other actions. Even "move like the wind" is mostly describing "forced march", not "outrunning horseback".
Most heraldry I've described in terms of the rank of noble it belongs to rather than the pattern, with one very specific exception: Three crossed swords behind a crown. That heraldic symbol is the symbol of the King.
Which makes it so interesting that the bandits here are basically claiming to act under the banner of the King as they attack the caravans you're chasing.
Since armies always, practically speaking, move significantly slower than individuals can move, Give Chase does not actually reduce DCs for other actions. Even "move like the wind" is mostly describing "forced march", not "outrunning horseback".
Most heraldry I've described in terms of the rank of noble it belongs to rather than the pattern, with one very specific exception: Three crossed swords behind a crown. That heraldic symbol is the symbol of the King.
Which makes it so interesting that the bandits here are basically claiming to act under the banner of the King as they attack the caravans you're chasing.
- Location
- Attached to a wall
- Pronouns
- She/Her
We are going through their territory and while the bandits may not be following the law, but it seems that they seem more Robin Hood -esque than truly evil.
Well that and we seem to share a common enemy.
- Location
- Belgium
[X] Plan: Looking for the bandits
-[X] [Martial] Search for Bandits
--[X] Add Free Action Search for Bandits
-[X] [Diplomacy] Bandit Meeting
-[X] [Diplomacy] Contacting Vivien (Free Action)
-[X] [Intrigue] Rumors of the Bandits
-[X] [Learning] Ink Dating
--[X] Add Free Action to Ink Dating
-[X] [Stewardship] Infrastructure Survey
-[X] [Piety] The Country Spirits of Antigua
I hope this plan is good.
-[X] [Martial] Search for Bandits
--[X] Add Free Action Search for Bandits
-[X] [Diplomacy] Bandit Meeting
-[X] [Diplomacy] Contacting Vivien (Free Action)
-[X] [Intrigue] Rumors of the Bandits
-[X] [Learning] Ink Dating
--[X] Add Free Action to Ink Dating
-[X] [Stewardship] Infrastructure Survey
-[X] [Piety] The Country Spirits of Antigua
I hope this plan is good.
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Random Member
Gardener of Human Happiness
- Location
- Behind You
Because they're a potential asset who likely have a bunch of info on the region and perhaps the Duke?
Hmm, I'm not sure what to use the last action in my plan for so I've decided to try something.... different.
[X] Plan The Ministry Strikes Back
-[X] [Martial] Give Chase
-[X] [Diplomacy] Contacting Vivien
-[X] [Diplomacy] Bandit Meeting
-[X] [Intrigue] Message to the Bandits
-[X] [Learning] Ink Dating
-[X] [Stewardship] Infrastructure Survey
-[X] [Piety] The Country Spirits of Antigua
-[X] [Piety] The Ancestral Spirits
-[X] [Free] For Agueda to use as he sees fit
@huhYeahGoodPoint Would this be valid?
- Location
- Attached to a wall
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] Plan: Making sure we keep our Boss
-[X] [Martial] Give Chase
-[X] [Diplomacy] Bandit Meeting
--[X] Add Free Action to Bandit Meeting
-[X] [Free action] [Diplomacy] Contacting Vivien
-[X] [Intrigue] Message to the Bandits
-[X] [Learning] Ink Dating
-[X] [Stewardship] Infrastructure Survey
-[X] [Free action] [Stewardship] Reading Vassal Contracts
-[X] [Piety] The Country Spirits of Antigua
We also can't waste time at the moment, because we are on a chase and we don't want to repeat our mistake from last time.
That on the side we should meeting both Vivien and the bandits is important at the moment. I also don't want to the arrest the bandits by using a martial action just yet, because they might have helped us arrest some traitors.
Furthermore reading Vassal contracts is basically auto success in finding evidence. and it will speed up the process.
The ink dating will have a 30% chance of failure as it is, but I think that it might be an acceptable risk to have that delayed for a turn.
-[X] [Martial] Give Chase
-[X] [Diplomacy] Bandit Meeting
--[X] Add Free Action to Bandit Meeting
-[X] [Free action] [Diplomacy] Contacting Vivien
-[X] [Intrigue] Message to the Bandits
-[X] [Learning] Ink Dating
-[X] [Stewardship] Infrastructure Survey
-[X] [Free action] [Stewardship] Reading Vassal Contracts
-[X] [Piety] The Country Spirits of Antigua
We also can't waste time at the moment, because we are on a chase and we don't want to repeat our mistake from last time.
That on the side we should meeting both Vivien and the bandits is important at the moment. I also don't want to the arrest the bandits by using a martial action just yet, because they might have helped us arrest some traitors.
Furthermore reading Vassal contracts is basically auto success in finding evidence. and it will speed up the process.
The ink dating will have a 30% chance of failure as it is, but I think that it might be an acceptable risk to have that delayed for a turn.
Random Member
Gardener of Human Happiness
- Location
- Behind You
How do you get a 30% chance of failure? Tekla's Learning is 23, and the Blessing of Oskaria provides a +2.
- Location
- Attached to a wall
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I thought that Oskaria's blessing would lose it's effect, and I dismembered Tekla's learning.
Martial (Choose 1) {Ophelia-Oskaria Action}
[X] [Martial] Give Chase
Disregard the looted caravan. Continue pursuit of the others, who the townsfolk say are just ahead. DC: 10. Cost: 0 Budget.
Diplomacy (Choose 1) {Agueda Action}
[X] [Diplomacy] Bandit Meeting
You may be able to manage a meeting with bandits, and the three sword insignia gives you reason to believe that you have some common ground - but that requires that you find them. Requires success on either Search for Bandits or Message to the Bandits. DC: ??. Cost: ?? Budget.
Intrigue (Choose 1) {Agueda Action}
[X] [Intrigue] Message to the Bandits
You might have some common ground, and certainly arranging a meeting place couldn't hurt - either to actually meet or as an ambush. DC: 20. Gain: ?? Possibility of meeting the bandits.
Learning (Choose 1) {Tekla Action}
[X] [Learning] Ink Dating
Tekla has some techniques to look into how old ink has been bound to paper - and if you can find that the missive was written and stamped prior to the King's death, you can repudiate the validity of the missive. DC: 25. Cost: 0 Budget.
Stewardship (Choose 1) {Ophelia-Oskaria Action}
[X] [Stewardship] Reading Vassal Contracts
Vassalage contracts are personal things, but to any serious event there are witnesses and documentation who can provide details about them. Let alone the direct vassals of no less a figure than a Duke. Time to get your hands on some. DC: 15. Cost: 0 Budget.
Piety (Choose 1) {Ophelia-Oskaria Action}
[X] [Piety] The Country Spirits of Antigua
Similarly, you have a few questions for the vast spirits of the country at large about the Duke's conduct - especially if any Beasts of Autumn are still lurking in the wilderness. DC: 22. Cost: 6 Budget.
[X] [Martial] Give Chase
Disregard the looted caravan. Continue pursuit of the others, who the townsfolk say are just ahead. DC: 10. Cost: 0 Budget.
Diplomacy (Choose 1) {Agueda Action}
[X] [Diplomacy] Bandit Meeting
You may be able to manage a meeting with bandits, and the three sword insignia gives you reason to believe that you have some common ground - but that requires that you find them. Requires success on either Search for Bandits or Message to the Bandits. DC: ??. Cost: ?? Budget.
Intrigue (Choose 1) {Agueda Action}
[X] [Intrigue] Message to the Bandits
You might have some common ground, and certainly arranging a meeting place couldn't hurt - either to actually meet or as an ambush. DC: 20. Gain: ?? Possibility of meeting the bandits.
Learning (Choose 1) {Tekla Action}
[X] [Learning] Ink Dating
Tekla has some techniques to look into how old ink has been bound to paper - and if you can find that the missive was written and stamped prior to the King's death, you can repudiate the validity of the missive. DC: 25. Cost: 0 Budget.
Stewardship (Choose 1) {Ophelia-Oskaria Action}
[X] [Stewardship] Reading Vassal Contracts
Vassalage contracts are personal things, but to any serious event there are witnesses and documentation who can provide details about them. Let alone the direct vassals of no less a figure than a Duke. Time to get your hands on some. DC: 15. Cost: 0 Budget.
Piety (Choose 1) {Ophelia-Oskaria Action}
[X] [Piety] The Country Spirits of Antigua
Similarly, you have a few questions for the vast spirits of the country at large about the Duke's conduct - especially if any Beasts of Autumn are still lurking in the wilderness. DC: 22. Cost: 6 Budget.
- Location
- Attached to a wall
- Pronouns
- She/Her
You might want to pour that in a plan format.
Like:
[] Plan
-[] action
-[] action
It makes the automatic vote tally easier to read.
- Location
- The state of Paranoia
Is this saying that Oskaria acts completely different, now that the king is dead? Ophelia-Oskaria doesn't really seem any different than usual here.
No time limit? Now this is excellent. That covers for a few of our lost tools.
Good. Sounds like the invaders are going to be fighting each other almost as much as they'll be fighting us.
Dragons are coming, and xenophobia is rising. Not good.
Not sure what this means since we don't know whose wedding it is. On the other hand, I'm guessing that we are probably their enemies somehow.
Oh, looks like the Duke is in control of Antigua. Sounds like he's cementing alliances. We should be wary of hostile intrigue actions.
[X] Plan: Making sure we keep our Boss
- Location
- Somewhere over the rainbow
Sorry for being late, but - I'm waffling badly on this because while one or two actions might be okay to delegate, the danger is that the next plan literally becomes "do what Agueda thinks is best", which is not what I want. Tentatively allowed with the caveat that I strongly suggest you pick something.
Not quite. It's saying that Ophelia acts completely differently when she channels Oskaria, and it's freaking Agueda out.
One more note: rumors are dangerous things. Can you ever be certain which are true? :3